The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-13

into low anticlinals or broken IN various ways.
was aware of this from examinations made in
the course OF engineering work. long before 1
took charge OF this department, and was sur
prised that its existence had been ignored or de-
MED over and over sgain it had been pro-
claimed to the world that the Paleozoie strata OF
Indiana were undisturbed; that no faults ex-
listed, and that, with the exception of a slight
intrusion OF the Cincinnati arch in the south.
eastern corner of the State, no antielinal ex-
listed. In making this statement 1 expressly
disayow any direct or Indirect attack or criti-
cism upon the work OF my distinguished and
able predecessors In office. tor it must be
remembered that they had not carried
tie survey far enough north to put
them in possession of the facts, or
10 include fair study, much less a settlement
OF this question. 1t was however, taken for
| granted by biologists everywhere that no dis
| turbance existed, and that such phenomena as
those at Keniland and Delphi and other points
must be referred to ''profou nd false bedding"
| and not to upheaval o. the strata. One OF the
first things set about investigating was this
| question, and desire to say here that 1 soon
became aware that both Professor Campbell and
| Professor Coulter eminent scientists OF Wabash
College, had been observing the striking features
| OF the problem upon which was at work. Pro-
lessor Campbell was the first, to my knowledge
to apply the phrase "rock dam" t. this disturb
ance across the State. and Professor Coulter
spoke to me OF noting certain apparent dis
turbances OF outcropping strata along the Tippe-
canoe River. In company with Professor Tor
hey went to Kentland, in Newton County, to
re-examine the curious outcrops there,
and found the rock upheaved to
| such an extent that the strata
were almost vertical. There is not the Sigh test
appearance OF false bedding. The layers are
| distinctly marked with clay partings between
| (flled with tossils) and the quarrymen take out
fair building stone, which separates along the
| proper line of bedding without sny trouble.
Every feature OF upheaval ispresent, every evil
dence OF false bedding absent. From this point
eastward there is more or less continuous evil
dence Of disturbance Of the Silurian rocks. SO
westwardly and northwestwardly the disturb
ance goes into Illinois. How wide (frem north
| to SOUTH this system OF rock waves, fractures
and displaeements may be, has not yet been
| determined. The superimposed drift material
is so thick as to render study very difficult. The
borings, however, indicate gentle waves in the
| rock as far south as indianapolis, and they may
| go further. Professor Zorbey noted many places
along the general line OF axis where, instead of
upheaval the strata appeared to be shattered into
fragments by vertical crevices, as il subsistence
| had followed upheaval.
OIL AND GAS BELT.
Much has been said about certain indefinite
thing called the ''oil aud gas belt' in Indiana.
| There is no such thing. "Gas and oil spots
| would be better phrase. Gas and oil may be
| in "spots'' all over Northern Indiana, and
these "spots" may be connected by under
| ground channels so as to be practically parts of
one great field; but well to be successful must
be bored in one OF these "spots, or 1t must in
tersect one OF these channels oil connection be-
tween the ''spots," if this theory is true. The
wells sunk in Indiana support this view, for dry
wells stand close beside productive ones. On the
other hand, it may turn out that our gas is not
continuous in any direction, but is housed in
local reservoirs OF the rock, and If this is
true then the supply will be exhausted
sooner or later. As far as study has
progressed it would appear that gas and oil
are likely to be found here and there all over
the northern half OF Indiana. AS to the south
ern half of the State there is much doubt, and
not enough boring has been done to a sufficient
depth to be of much value in study. Beginning
atKentland, in Newton County, and running
| straight line thence to Madison, in Jefferson
County, the States area viii be divided into two
| Will
merely fringe OF the sub carboniferous forma-
ton, and almost its entire area will be found
geologicany low enough so that the Trenton
rock should be reached without a very expen-
sive boring. The western triangle would pre-
sent greater difficulties, as especially in the
southwestern part the carbonifero Is form&
lions would be very thick. In the eastern tre
angle II will not be foolish or without some
hope OF success to bore wherever the DevOnian
or the upper Silurian formation is the sur
face rock. In the western triangle gas may
Jet be found In the carDonifer0us rocks.
1t would be without any scientific basis for any
town or city in Northern Indiana to conclude
without boring that gas or oil is not beneath it.
There is no general reason why gas shoult be
under Anderson and not under URiol City, Lo-
gansport or Monticello; but there may be a par
ticular reason discoverable by boring number
Of wells or the reason may be too profound to
be discovered at all, If the fact exists that the
latter places are over dry areas. The reported
finding Of oil at Francisville is the first notable
and significant fact in corroboration OF what
had taken as true, to wit, that Kentland is
nesrly on the axis OF the disturbance 1 have
mentioned.
GAS BLOW AT KESTLAND.
lam OF the opinion that the local upheayal
near Kentland served ages ago as a vent for the
pent.up gas of the lower Silurian rock. There
are facts strongly supporting this view. In the
first place the fDer of the stone there shows
that while the deposit was yet in a somewhat
plastic state it was subject to tremendous
pressure acting from below. What is called
cone-in-cone structure is disclosed in a marked
and unmistskable degree showing where the
upward bearing force "telescoped" the sub
stance OF the rock, so to say. Nor is III is
all. The almost vertical clay partings OF
the strata are full OF fossils from
the lower silurisn, whilst the rocks themselves
are mostly, if not all, upper Silurian. These
fossils, mostly OF very small species, have been
forced up between the strata from below, along
with the mortar-like clay in which they are
found imbedded. When Professor Zorbey and
1 first examined this out-crop, we were struck
with the peculiar features have described and
as natural gas was not then known to be in the
lower Silurian rock of Indiana, we agreed in
attTibutng the position Of the fossils to the ac-
ton OF up-gushing water at the time OF the dis
turbance. am now convinced that ii was gas
instead of water. At first this might seem fan
ciful, but pause q moment and consider that
the present pressure OF natural gas is sometimes
found TO be as much as 600 pounds to the square
inch, which would lift a stratum Of rock COG
feet thick weighing a pound for every twelve